It was my first day teaching at Nuevos Horizontes, and I probably looked as frightened as they did. I had no training or experience in teaching, and I had never encountered any of the horrors that various women related that day. I wasn't prepared for the women to want to tell me, a complete stranger, how they had landed in the shelter. For the first time in my life, I was glad that I'm not yet fluent in Spanish, as bits of the stories slipped past me. I understood enough of it though, that I was shaking when I left the shelter. I decided I never wanted to go back. Those women had survived more pain than I could even bear to hear about. I wanted to forget about all of the women who live with domestic violence in Guatemala and remain blissfully ignorant.

But somehow, after having a bit of a breakdown in the morning, I got myself to ring the bell to be let back into the shelter. My second day was much more pleasant. As soon as I arrived, all of the women kissed me hello on the cheek. Many of them gathered around, eager to learn. The harsh reality is that most of these women have no education. They can’t read or add or think critically. However, their desire to learn is so impressive that I have returned daily to volunteer with the women.

Currently, I am the only volunteer who teaches the women. However, Nuevos Horizontes relies heavily on the support of volunteers. Most volunteers work with the children in the shelter, in the five daycare centers that Nuevos Horizontes runs for women outside of the shelter who need to work and do not have family support. Others accompany the women or children to health clinics. Nuevos Horizontes is dependent on the help of volunteers, as it has a very limited budget and no governmental support.

Even after meeting many women at Nuevos Horizontes, I have a hard time believing what they have gone through. Outsiders cannot relate to or understand the nature of violent relationships and how they continue. It seems like anyone would be able to avoid a violent relationship. But domestic violence is an appalling and serious problem all over the world.

Violence and the acceptance of violence generate more violence. Many of the people who find themselves in abusive relationships grew up in violent households. As Lily Wuj, the director of Nuevos Horizontes, explained, the children often suffer as much as the women in violent home situations. They are often neglected and abused physically and sexually. This often perpuatates the problem; abused children go on to accept and model a harmful way of life.

Women in Guatemala get trapped in abusive relationships, according to Lily, because of the patriarchal culture, alcohol, the economic situation, and the lack of attention the government pays to the problem. In most of Latin America, men are still valued more than the women and have more rights. Women are expected to obey men. This allows men to take advantage of the women. Alcohol also plays a part in this. One day, I attended a workshop that a Canadian volunteer gave to the women, explaining that one serious type of abuse that many women suffer from is financial. The men control the money, thus locking the women into the relationship. Women often have inadequate education and job training, combined with little financial management knowledge and few rights within a marriage. As a result, they do not question their relationships or see a way out. In the past, the government has done little against the problem. There is now a plan to fight against domestic violence, but thus far, the government has done little.

	Nuevos Horizontes valiantly strives to educate women, both in the shelter and in the community. In the last few years, Guatemalan women have started to have more knowledge of domestic violence and more are reporting the problem. But in reality, according to Lily, the problem has not improved. Yet Lily believes it is possible to eliminate domestic violence. The key is education and the public denouncement of domestic violence. Everyone needs to hear that violence is not acceptable, and women need to know that there is a way out and be helped to get there.

Each day in the shelter, I try to work with the women on reading, writing, and math. Sometimes I wonder how much they will actually learn in my few months here, and whether it will really do them any good. But small differences do add up. And the women and children are happy to have the opportunity to study.

Yesterday, María decided to return to her husband. About 40% of the women who come to Nuevos Horizontes take this route. Although it saddened me to watch her go back, perhaps her life will be better now. In any case, she has learned that there is always a way out, and that if she has more problems, she always has a safe place to go. María was my first student, and I wish I could have taught her more. But within the short couple of months we worked together, María became more confident in her ability to speak Spanish and seemed to be proud of her progress in math. It was hard to see her and her two children leave, and I can only hope her experiences at Nuevos Horizontes made her stronger.